A Prayer For Owen Meany Essay -- essays research papers

Prayer As A Symbol in Irvings A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY In John Irvings A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY there be numerous heavy(p) symbols. Those of arm-less figures, water, and angels are a few of the more prominent ones but, there are too many symbols that are much more subtle than those few. The most prominent of the subtle symbols is that of prayer. Prayer, in an of itself, is an idea. But, in A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, Irving uses it to convey many more abstract concepts. "THE TROUBLE WITH CHURCH IS THE SERVICE." Owen states. "A SERVICE IS CONDUCTED FOR A MASS AUDIENCE. nevertheless WHEN I START TO LIKE THE HYMN, EVERYONE PLOPS DOWN TO PRAY. JUST WHEN I START TO HEAR THE PRAYER, EVERYONE POPS UP TO SING (23)." In this transition prayer is viewed only as a part of the "hocus-pocus (21)" of church building ceremony. It is thus representative both of Owens view of church formalities and ceremony, and of the attitudes that both Owen and knot hold toward certain aspects of the church and its traditions. This becomes important on a larger scale when the reader recognizes the conflict that plagues both Johnny and Owen when it comes to religious issues. Johnny states this point clearly when he says, "I was name in the Congregational Church, and after some years of fraternity with the Episcopalian...I became earlier weak in my religion in my teens I attended a non-denomination church. Then I became an Anglican...(1)." These frequent internal religious conflict...